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The controversy over Jeff Sessions’ January testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee appears to have been slow to filter down to the public, and many are still undecided on the matter. | AP Photo

Poll: Majority of voters favor special prosecutor

A majority of voters support appointing a special prosecutor to investigate alleged ties between President Donald Trump’s campaign staff and the Russian government, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll conducted in the immediate wake of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ recusal from any related investigations.

Fifty-six percent of registered voters support appointing a special prosecutor, a far greater share than the 30 percent who oppose an independent counsel investigating the matter. Thirteen percent of voters don’t have an opinion.

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Three out of four Democratic voters support a special prosecutor, compared to 39 percent of Republicans and 54 percent of independents.

The poll was conducted last Thursday through Monday and went into the field just hours after Sessions announced he wouldn’t take part in any investigation into the Trump campaign. At a press conference at the Justice Department last Thursday, Sessions admitted meeting twice last year with Russia’s ambassador to the United States. Because those meetings occurred as part of his duties as a then-senator from Alabama, according to Sessions, he didn’t mislead his colleagues when he said he had no interactions with Russian government officials while serving as a Trump campaign “surrogate.”

The controversy over Sessions’ January testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee appears to have been slow to filter down to the public, and many are still undecided on the matter. But early opinion suggests more voters believe Sessions wasn’t forthcoming with the committee. Only 29 percent of voters think Sessions was truthful, while 38 percent believe he wasn’t. But nearly a third, 32 percent, say they don’t know if Sessions told the truth.

Overall, voters are split on whether any Russian involvement influenced the results of last year’s presidential election: 41 percent think it did, while 42 percent believe it didn’t. Another 17 percent aren’t sure. It breaks largely on partisan lines, with 69 percent of Democratic voters saying the Russians influenced the voting, and 71 percent of Republicans saying they didn’t. Independents are also divided, with 35 percent saying Russia influenced the results, and 40 percent saying it didn’t.

“While many Republicans do not believe that Russia influenced the 2016 election, they aren't necessarily opposed to investigating the idea," said Morning Consult Chief Research Officer and Cofounder Kyle Dropp. "Only 16 percent of Republicans believe Russia influenced the 2016 election, but 39 percent support a special prosecutor being appointed to investigate ties between the Trump campaign and Russia."

The Russia controversy has dogged the Trump administration over its first seven weeks, even as the president has promised a robust policy agenda. But, according to the POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, voters expect Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress to implement many of the president’s priorities.

For 10 of Trump’s key policy proposals, majorities of voters think it’s at least somewhat likely he will accomplish nine of them in his first year in office. That includes heavy lifts like repealing the 2010 health care law (64 percent), replacing it (62 percent), passing a federal tax overhaul (56 percent) and passing an infrastructure spending bill (62 percent).

But confidence that Republicans will achieve these goals this year isn’t boundless. Even though majorities think it’s at least somewhat likely Trump will pass these items, fewer voters say it’s “very likely” repealing the health care law (33 percent), replacing it (31 percent), changing the tax code (21 percent) or major infrastructure projects (23 percent) will become a reality.

The Trump proposal voters are least confident he’ll be able to implement this year? It’s perhaps his signature initiative: a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Only 46 percent believe it’s very or somewhat likely that will be accomplished this year — though voters think it’s quite likely Trump and Republicans will reduce the number of immigrants allowed into the United States, with 72 percent of voters saying that’s at least somewhat likely.

"We polled voters on ten of Trump's biggest stated priorities. For all of those agenda items except one — the border wall — a majority believe they will be accomplished in the first year,” Dropp said. “Those are high expectations."

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Voters are most eager for Trump and Republicans to create new jobs in the manufacturing industry this year: 42 percent say they are “excited” for that prospect, and another 40 percent would be “satisfied.”

Other initiatives garner less enthusiasm: 29 percent would be excited if Trump and Republicans repeal and replace the health care law, 28 percent would be excited for major changes to the tax code and 22 percent would be excited for the border wall.

But, generally, more voters would be “excited” or “satisfied” for each of the 10 proposals than would be “disappointed” or “upset.”

That tracks with Trump’s overall approval rating, which remains positive in the POLITICO/Morning Consult poll — in contrast with most other public surveys that show more respondents disapprove of Trump’s job performance than approve. Half of voters approve of the job Trump is doing in this week’s POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, while 45 percent disapprove — unchanged from last week’s poll.

The percentage of voters who strongly disapprove of Trump’s job performance (34 percent) continues to outpace those who strongly approve (27 percent), however.

The POLITICO/Morning Consult poll surveyed 1,992 registered voters online and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Morning Consult is a nonpartisan media and technology company that provides data-driven research and insights on politics, policy and business strategy.